So yeah. One Piece is kind of a big deal of sorts. This is obvious from its record sales numbers. But for those who are still wondering why, that’s no problem. We can explain it all right now.
One Piece is popular because it has a killer storyline, a gripping mystery, charming characters with a phenomenal world building. This is all wrapped together with an impactful storytelling that takes the reader to cheering emotional eyes, and teary heartbreaking lows.
That is surprisingly simpler than I thought it would be. If you still find yourself confused by this explanation, that’s also fine. We can get right into it.
- Why Is One Piece So Popular?
- Is watching One Piece worth it?
- Is One Piece Or Naruto Better?
- Is One Piece A Classic?
Why Is One Piece So Popular?
1. Killer Storyline
One Piece is a great adventure story.
An adventure is a story in which the main conflict of the story can only be solved through extensive travel. One Piece is such a story, as the main conflict for our main character is a desire to be free. Finally, the goal of the main character, finding the One Piece, is one that can only be accomplished through travel. Further, the world is built in such a way that we further empathize with our main character.
The places they visit have people living in abhorrent situations due to tyrannical governments, and kings. This makes Luffy’s dream more appealing, and additionally, it creates a certain cohesion between the main character’s motivation, the villains, and the setting. Internal story consistency is something that readers look for a lot in story telling, because it allows you to immerse yourself further into the story. Seeing One Piece’s success, we know this to be a strategy that works.
2. Mystery
One Piece has captivating mystery
One of the most important part of writing is creating a desire for the readers to turn the page. The only way to create this desire is by implanting questions in the readers mind. And what imposes questions in a readers mind better than mystery?
One Piece is an onion of questions. From the very first chapter, till the present, there are still questions that are being raised. When you read the first chapter of One Piece, the first question you ask yourself is ‘What is the One Piece’. Then the second question becomes, ‘How will this rubbery boy manage to be a pirate if he can’t swim’. Interestingly, this was a point that was harped on a lot at the beginning of this story. Yet the more One Piece we read, the more we come to realize how little of an obstacle that actually was.
Of course Oda knew that, but he still brought up the question in the readers mind, a question that you will realize is a nothing burger only after having read 200 chapters. By that point, a million more questions have been raised by the plot. ‘Who are the World Government?’ ‘What is the Ancient Kingdom’s name?’ ‘Who are the Gorosei?’ ‘What is the Will of the D?’ And finally, what the living hell is the One Piece, and what does it have to do with all these conspiracies?!
As you can see, the questions that are raised end up expanding the world, the stakes, and the breadth of the realism in the world. But at the same time, the story remains the same at heart because it is still just a story about a boy who cannot swim but still wants to be free.
3. Characters
One Piece has fantastical characters, who feel so human.
One Piece is filled with characters who have the most bizarre looks, and the strangest of personality quirks. It is the kind of thing that would turn of any reader, or at least it should, but not with One Piece. How did Oda manage to do this?
The simple answer is trust. When you read the earliest chapters of One Piece, you’ll find that most of the characters are normal. Yes, they may have a strange quirk, like the guy who likes moonwalking, and hypnotizing himself, but their general appearance is mostly human. This was because Oda was aware that his readers had to first learn to trust him, and his writing.
Oda wrote characters who had such compelling stories that by the time we reached the exotic lands, we have learned to trust him. Now, if he draws a strange looking character, not only will One Piece fans not laugh at the design, but they will take it so seriously, they will start making theories about it. Today, there is a serious theory in the community that this fat guy actually has three people in him, and part of what is used to back up this theory is the weird way his missing teeth are often drawn.
4. Worldbuilding
One Piece has one of the best worldbuilding in fiction.
Adventure stories are the closest we will ever get to dreams, and Oda takes full advantage of this. There are few worlds in fiction as wide, and diverse as One Piece’s world. In this world, we have desert kingdoms on one end, and on the other, we have underwater kingdoms. We have cloud cities on one, and on the other we have kingdoms made purely out of food. We have all sorts of wonders, and mystiques. Consequentially, there is a constant feeling that you cannot predict what will come next, but you can’t wait to find out.
What makes this work is that Oda takes great care to flesh out every little island that we visit so that it gets as close as possible to being real. For example, people on the cloud cities have their own form of greeting, and their own technology. Also, people on the snack kingdom have mayors who specialize on the specific snack the town is. For example, the mayor of the chocolate town can make chocolates. This creates a bizarre, yet believable setting, since of course the mayor will need to be able to bake the road, or wall that is necessary. But of course, there is the one final way that all this comes together
5. Expert Storytelling
This was mentioned before but it is better emphasized. One Piece’s world feels real -in spite of how exotic the characters are, how weird the world is, and how epic the conflict is- because of the way the story is told.
When the story begins, it deals with small towns, pirates, and marines. This setting is simple, and relatable to the real world. In this world, Oda proves himself over, and over as being able to tell a single cohesive, compelling story. When we have gained trust in his penmanship, he then takes us deeper, showing us even stranger settings, and quirkier characters.
No matter how strange, and quirky, Oda has never failed to make us connect to these worlds. He makes us connect to the world through making these weird rules, and he makes us connect to the characters by making their physical design quirks, and personality quirks connect to their tragic backstory. Thus, he flashes out the world, and more importantly, builds more trust with the readers. If tomorrow, the straw hats were to go to space, most fans would be fine with that. In fact, there is already a ton of theories already theorizing that!
Is Watching One Piece Worth It?
One Piece is absolutely worth it, yes.
There are two ways of interpreting this question. Either one, you are trying to find out if it’s worth watching the anime of One Piece, or would it be better to read the manga. In that case, read the manga. With the manga, you can go at your own pace, and many other benefits listed in my manga vs anime article. If you really insist on the anime, then it is best to read it with none of the filler, which I also have an article for.
The second way of interpreting the question is, should one even bother consuming One Piece content, irrespective of what form (manga or anime). To that I say, a hundred and fifty-eight billion times yes. One Piece is an extremely fulfilling story. It makes you learn to view your everyday life in a different manner, since you can’t help but let your creativity run wild.
Also, you could end up building habits around your consumption of One Piece that could be productive. Finally, if you decide to read it, you may decide to start watching YouTube reviews for it. These are extremely fun, and fulfilling. You get to make new friends in the community, and be in new situations. All of which is extremely fulfilling.
Yes, yes, and yes. Do it.
Is One Piece or Naruto Better?
“Picture 7”
One Piece is better than Naruto.
Although the authors are friends, people have been wondering which of the two works can be considered the better manga. And honestly, that is not the kind of question we can answer here.
These two stories are doing different things, and in order to figure out which is better, first we need to understand what they are both trying to do. Then, we need to see which succeeds more at doing what it is trying to do. Which ever does is obviously better than the other. But for now, I am just going to go by record sales. It has sold more copies than Naruto, so I will take One Piece. I know, I know, it’s not fair! But, I will make a proper article on the debate next time.
Is One Piece a Classic, or Crash test?
One Piece is a classics.
In the next coming years, One Piece will be regarded as the standard for what manga can be. I’m going to be the first to bet that it will probably start being studied even in places like university.
What Can Writers Learn From One Piece?
Killer premise justifies building up the world and making it grow to legendary heights before our own very eyes. I won’t be surprised if we conclude by fighting a Bubble gum Monster in space.